[2] Following his education at the independent Solihull School, at the age of 18 and whilst studying law at Coventry University as an amateur boxer, Macklin won the 2001 national senior ABA welterweight title for the Small Heath Boxing Club by beating Justin Turley in the final.

[4] Macklin left the amateur ranks and turned professional in September 2001, winning his first fight at the Bellahouston Sports Centre, Glasgow, Scotland, in which Macklin beat previously undefeated Ram Singh from Wisbech in a first-round knockout on a card which included Scottish fighters Scott Harrison, Alex Arthur and Willie Limond.

[6] In December 2009, Macklin moved closer to a world title shot with a points victory over Rafa Sosa Pintos at the National Stadium in Dublin.

[7] Macklin beat Finnish Super-fighter Amin Asikainen by brutal 1st-round KO at the Manchester Velodrome, England on 25 September 2009 for the vacant European middleweight title.

He was replaced with Georgian slugger Shalva Jomardashvili and won the fight via a technical knock out two seconds into the sixth round after shoma pulled out.

Matthew Macklin met WBC Diamond Middleweight champion Sergio Martinez in Madison Square Garden, New York City.

Follow a devastating knockout loss to Argentine contender Jorge Sebastian Heiland, Macklin took some time off from the sport, being undecided on whether he would retire or not.

[9] Past his best but in hopes of one final title shot, Macklin returned the following year and took part in a couple of easy warm up fights, before dropping down a weight division to defeat domestic level Jason Welborn.

Macklin then defeated former world title challenger Brian Rose by a narrow 12 round majority decision on the Anthony Joshua-Charles Martin undercard.